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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. root — of a plant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. root — the cause

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