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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a word
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. plane — a tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. racket — for tennis

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