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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.

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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — a path
  8. capital — money
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. root — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — a city
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — the cause

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