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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. root — of a word
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — after costs
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — the cause
  21. prune — to trim
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — steady

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