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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rash — a series
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. root — of a plant
  17. degree — an amount
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. degree — from a university

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