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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. degree — from a university
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. degree — an amount
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. wake — a trail
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — of the sea

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