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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. root — the cause
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. root — of a word
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fork — in a road
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — part of the body

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