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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. roll — a list
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. root — the cause
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — in biology
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — a phone

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