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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — an amount
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — child
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — size or range
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. scale — for weighing

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