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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. march — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. root — of a word
  23. march — the month
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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