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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. degree — an amount
  10. file — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stock — goods
  17. degree — temperature
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a document
  20. stock — shares
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — a trail
  24. degree — from a university

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