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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 116 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. degree — temperature
  3. sharp — clever
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — there
  7. drill — army training
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — to be able to
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — to eat
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the 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