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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a word
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a great time
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — a practice
  16. press — a publisher
  17. degree — temperature
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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