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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: degree · stem · mate · coach · fork · row · rock · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. degree — from a university
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — out of danger

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