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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kid — child
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — a series

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