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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — to paddle
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — a line
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — the most important part
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cabinet — ministers

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