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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: root · firm · wind · dip · wax · degree · pitcher · bank

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — temperature
  21. firm — decided
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. root — the cause
  24. firm — steady

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