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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. degree — from a university
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — goods
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — in football
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. press — to push
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. press — newspapers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. degree — an amount
  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