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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. sharp — clever
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — temperature
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — in cards

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