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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — a practice
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — army training
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. club — for golf
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stock — goods
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tube — a container

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