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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.

Words on the sheet
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: scale · rest · degree · root · roll · can · spring · ground

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. ground — a position
  3. spring — of water
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. degree — temperature
  7. root — of a plant
  8. spring — the season
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — in music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. degree — an amount
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — of a word
  18. roll — a list
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — crushed
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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