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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: perch · degree · pound · current · bay · temple · spell · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — electric
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. degree — temperature
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — magic
  24. perch — the fish

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