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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — temperature
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. degree — an amount
  8. firm — steady
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — decided
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spell — letters
  16. firm — a company
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — tied together
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — magic
  23. degree — from a university
  24. spell — a short time

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