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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — an aim
  3. present — there
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — a group
  7. root — of a plant
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — a thing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — for dancing
  16. present — a gift
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — all right
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — the time now
  23. degree — from a university
  24. object — to protest

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