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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. drill — a practice
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — an amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kick — in football

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