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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — farmland
  15. root — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — decided
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — for tennis

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