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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — obliged
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bound — certain
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cold — not warm
  17. firm — a company
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — decided

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