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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to point toward
  6. land — to come down
  7. degree — an amount
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — a group
  11. face — to confront
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — part of the head
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — temperature
  18. land — a country
  19. shower — rain
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — a company

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