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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — rain
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. root — of a word
  9. degree — an amount
  10. squash — to crush
  11. degree — from a university
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mouse — the animal

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