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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fall — to drop
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. firm — decided
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. firm — steady
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — a cake
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. roll — a list
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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