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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chip — to eat
  3. degree — temperature
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — from a university
  16. board — a committee
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — of a word

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