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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 · cap · court · degree · branch · rush · cabinet · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — an amount
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — hurry
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. root — of a plant
  13. court — of law
  14. root — of a word
  15. degree — temperature
  16. branch — a division
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. cabinet — ministers

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