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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of a king
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — to protest
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — a trace
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. root — the cause
  15. object — a thing
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — an aim
  20. degree — temperature
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. court — for sport
  24. degree — an amount

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