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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. root — the cause
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — in sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. root — of a word
  17. swing — in golf
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — a partner
  21. swing — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — for catching

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