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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 124 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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — a division
  7. scale — size or range
  8. root — of a word
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fall — the season
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. scale — in music
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. key — the most important part

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