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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — of law
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — to put up with

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