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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: dip · stem · degree · trunk · bat · tube · bark · season

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. bark — to shout
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stem — to come from
  24. season — of the year

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