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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. root — of a plant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to point toward
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — to crush
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. degree — from a university
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the sport

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