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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — temperature
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. club — for golf
  5. degree — an amount
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — a lid
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — a group
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ball — a great time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. vault — a safe
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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