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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 120 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: arm · degree · bank · stem · mark · cue · ball · suit

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. suit — to fit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mark — a trace
  24. degree — temperature

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