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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. deal — to handle
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — a position
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — the earth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. object — an aim
  24. root — of a word

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