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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 · degree · drill · current · land · suit · ground · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — the cause
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — of water
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — a country
  9. ground — a position
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — ground
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ground — the earth
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. current — electric

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