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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — electricity
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. perch — the fish
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. degree — an amount
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — a price
  24. degree — from a university

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