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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. court — for sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — newspapers
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. hand — help
  20. press — to push
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. court — of a king
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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