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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. court — of a king
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — the cause
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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