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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · coach · mine · lie · prune · mark · chip · root

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — for betting
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — to eat
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. prune — to trim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chip — in a computer

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