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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. board — to get on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a word
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — from a university
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — a committee
  21. rash — hasty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rash — on the skin

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