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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — the season
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — a measure
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — a coil
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. root — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — of the sea

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