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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rash — on the skin

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