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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rock — a stone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a dance
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — to keep track
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. ball — a great time

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