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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — of a plant
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. root — of a word
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. root — the cause
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of law
  24. pass — to succeed

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