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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. object — a thing
  3. root — of a word
  4. fine — all right
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — to rob
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mug — a cup
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ground — a position
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — from a university
  24. root — 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