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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: stand · board · pitcher · pop · suit · degree · root · bat

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — an amount
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. degree — from a university
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — music
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. root — of a word
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — soda
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — the cause

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