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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. season — in sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — a grade
  10. degree — an amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — completely
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. degree — from a university
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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