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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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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: game · wake · tear · pass · root · degree · staff · coach

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. root — of a word
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. staff — employees
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — a permit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. staff — a stick
  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