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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — wild animals
  3. degree — an amount
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. present — there
  7. swing — in golf
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. root — the cause
  11. swing — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. degree — from a university
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — temperature
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — of a word
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — a gift
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. track — a path

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