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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cap — a lid
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bass — low music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — army training
  18. cap — of ice
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. degree — temperature
  23. row — a line
  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