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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. degree — temperature
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. root — the cause
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. kick — in football
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — a break
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. root — of a word

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