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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — in a race
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pop — to visit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — low music

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