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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — of a plant
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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