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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — from a university
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — size or range
  8. season — in sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. degree — an amount
  12. content — happy
  13. root — of a plant
  14. roll — a cake
  15. root — of a word
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — temperature
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — of the year

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