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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. degree — from a university
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — of a word
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — an amount
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chair — a leader
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. degree — temperature
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — music
  24. root — of a plant

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