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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 120 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 was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. root — of a word
  3. bound — obliged
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bound — certain
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spell — letters
  10. scale — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — an amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — from a university
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rule — a law
  24. bear — to put up with

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