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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. degree — temperature
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — to keep track
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — a path
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — a company
  18. staff — employees
  19. shower — to wash
  20. root — of a word
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. object — to protest

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