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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pit — a hole
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — a law
  16. root — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. rule — government
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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