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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — of a word
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. degree — from a university
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. root — the cause

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