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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. degree — temperature
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. band — a music group
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a ring

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