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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 124 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — in control
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cap — a hat
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stem — of a plant

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