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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — thin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bound — tied together
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. root — the cause
  16. bound — obliged
  17. drill — army training
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ball — a great time
  20. degree — an amount
  21. club — for dancing
  22. root — of a word
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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