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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mate — a friend
  4. root — of a plant
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. root — of a word
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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