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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — from a university
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — the cause
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — high quality
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for dancing
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — a group
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — the fruit

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