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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. present — a gift
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitch — completely
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — a price
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — there
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. degree — from a university
  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