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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · root · deal · stick · snap · fan · bear · degree

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — the cause
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. root — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. degree — an amount
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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