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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. degree — temperature
  5. object — an aim
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. degree — an amount
  8. row — to paddle
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a word
  13. object — a thing
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. object — to protest
  18. capital — money
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. staff — a stick
  23. row — a line
  24. mark — to pay attention

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