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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — an amount
  4. roll — a list
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mug — a face
  11. roll — a cake
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mug — to rob
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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