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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ground — the earth
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. march — the month
  24. degree — temperature

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