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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
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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. degree — temperature
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — ministers

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