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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. degree — an amount
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. game — a match
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — wild animals
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — of a word

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