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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: roll · current · root · mug · shower · pass · date · degree

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. root — of a word
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. current — happening now
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — electric
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — of water
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. roll — a list
  19. root — the cause
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a plant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. shower — to wash
  24. roll — on a roll

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