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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. key — for a lock
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. degree — from a university
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. firm — decided
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. firm — steady

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