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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. season — in sport
  3. degree — from a university
  4. root — of a word
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — a list
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wound — an injury
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — of the year
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — in cards
  22. roll — a cake
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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