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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitch — completely
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — the fruit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a word
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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