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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — steady
  16. court — for sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — temperature
  21. firm — a company
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — of a word

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