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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. date — the fruit
  7. root — of a word
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — from a university
  12. present — a gift
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — for baseball

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