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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. root — the cause
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cell — a phone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — crushed
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — a break
  9. degree — an amount
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in biology
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. current — of water
  22. root — of a word
  23. fan — a supporter
  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