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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: nail · fan · ground · hide · degree · root · cue · rush

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — the cause
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. root — of a word
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. hide — animal skin

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