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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — of a word
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — in control

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