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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: jam · stick · mate · degree · pass · leaves · stem · game

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. game — a kind of play

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