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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.

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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — ground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. land — to come down
  12. degree — from a university
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a word
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — magic
  24. pass — a permit

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