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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. root — the cause
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fine — high quality
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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