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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. root — the cause
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — a safe
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a car

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