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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — for pool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. degree — from a university
  16. game — a match
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — the cause
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — a hint
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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