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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — an amount
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — a tool
  10. land — ground
  11. root — the cause
  12. scale — in music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — temperature
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. root — of a word
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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