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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. root — of a word
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. root — the cause
  7. cold — not warm
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — employees
  12. cold — an illness
  13. prune — to trim
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — temperature
  18. object — an aim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — a stick
  22. object — a thing
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. degree — from a university

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