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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: wave · ruler · temple · degree · root · coach · saw · track

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — from a university
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. root — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. degree — an amount

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