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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · bore · perch · degree · nail · court · hide · jam

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. court — of a king
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bore — to tire
  16. perch — the fish
  17. court — of law
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. degree — temperature
  24. jam — a tight spot

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