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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: date · leaves · scale · degree · bear · stem · cue · pop

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pop — soda
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — to visit
  10. date — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bear — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. scale — in music
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — a signal

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