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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · row · degree · bear · stem · fan · stick · pass

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com