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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · stem · cap · toast · rash · court · degree · spell

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spell — a short time
  11. degree — temperature
  12. toast — bread
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a signal
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. court — for sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — for pool

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