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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 120 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 the members were all out of tune.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — letters
  3. rest — a break
  4. degree — an amount
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — a committee
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. root — of a word
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bass — low music

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