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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: clip · kick · press · degree · stick · stem · club · mark

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stem — to come from
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. press — to push
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — to cut
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — a video
  19. press — newspapers
  20. clip — for paper
  21. press — a publisher
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mark — a trace

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