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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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Word bank
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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: degree · root · rule · press · pit · field

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — for sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — of a word
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — to push
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — the cause
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature

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