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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. plane — a tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. degree — temperature
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wind — moving air
  13. staff — a stick
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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