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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rest — a break
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — in 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