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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cap — of ice
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cap — a hat
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a trace
  12. root — the cause
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fine — all right
  22. bat — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. leaves — to go away

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