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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — clever
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. root — the cause
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. root — of a plant
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cell — a phone
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — temperature
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — exactly

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