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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rest — a break
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — temperature
  24. sharp — with an edge

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