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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. firm — a company
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. degree — temperature
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — the cause
  8. degree — an amount
  9. firm — decided
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — to get on
  12. root — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. firm — steady
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. last — final
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — finally

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