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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 120 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
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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: present · capital · root · bank · perch · degree · rush · season

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — there
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — the time now
  11. bank — for money
  12. root — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. capital — a city
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — money
  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