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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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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: degree · stem · mark · toast · bay · ground · nail · ruler

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. degree — from a university
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mark — a trace
  14. degree — temperature
  15. toast — bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mark — to pay attention

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