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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. present — the time now
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. degree — temperature
  10. craft — boats
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — of law
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. suit — to fit
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. court — of a king

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