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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a word
  11. toast — bread
  12. deal — to handle
  13. degree — temperature
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — decided
  23. bear — the animal
  24. root — the cause

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