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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. root — of a word
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fine — all right
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — electricity
  20. last — final
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — the cause
  23. bass — the fish
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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