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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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468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — in a road
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rest — what's left
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — a tin

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