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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — a cup
  3. root — of a word
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a path
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mug — a face
  19. root — of a plant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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