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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — clever
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to click
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — of a word
  14. ball — a great time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. degree — from a university
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bore — gave birth

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