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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: jam · degree · mine · pitch · root · mark · toast · band

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — completely
  6. root — of a word
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. band — a music group
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — a grade
  12. toast — bread
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. degree — from a university
  16. band — a ring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a plant
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — a tight spot

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