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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. march — the month
  3. root — the cause
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — to handle
  6. degree — temperature
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — a trail
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. march — music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. charge — a price
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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