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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. firm — steady
  3. band — a ring
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — magic
  6. root — the cause
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. suit — in cards
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — decided
  16. suit — clothes
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a music group
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — a company

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