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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — the animal
  7. toast — bread
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. root — of a plant

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