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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ground — crushed
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — music
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — of a plant

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