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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — government
  4. root — the cause
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. rest — a break
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bore — to tire
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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