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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 120 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lean — thin
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — an amount
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitch — completely
  7. root — of a plant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. degree — from a university
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. court — of a king
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — of law
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lean — to rest against

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