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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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468
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — a stick
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — from a university
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a great time
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. root — of a plant

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