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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 116 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: mark · root · march · degree · land · lie · bore · hand

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hand — help
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — the month
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — a trace
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — to come down
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — to drill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. march — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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