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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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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: temple · degree · perch · suit · root · mine · cold · pass

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — the fish
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mine — for digging
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — of a word
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cold — not warm
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cold — an illness
  24. mine — belonging to me

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