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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. root — the cause
  3. firm — steady
  4. face — to point toward
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. firm — decided
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — the season
  10. present — a gift
  11. spring — of water
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — there
  21. swing — to play on
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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