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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 · degree · content · chip · ball · fall · tube · lash

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — the cause
  18. fall — the season
  19. tube — a container
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. degree — from a university

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