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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. present — there
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — the underground
  9. degree — temperature
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. tube — a container
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — magic
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — letters
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — to play on

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