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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — in music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — size or range
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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