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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 · rule · season · root · cue · mouse · face · dip

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — the cause
  10. cue — a signal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — temperature
  16. season — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. degree — an amount

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