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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cap — a hat
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. root — of a word
  5. degree — temperature
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pit — in a race
  13. track — to keep track
  14. degree — an amount
  15. toast — bread
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — the cause
  18. degree — from a university
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — a safe
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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