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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — after costs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. root — of a word
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. root — the cause
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. row — a line
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — to paddle
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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