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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. drill — a practice
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — in cards
  14. root — of a plant
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. degree — from a university
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. shower — rain
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — clothes
  24. drill — army training

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