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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: suit · pop · dip · ball · degree · leaves · deal · root

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. root — the cause
  8. pop — to visit
  9. root — of a plant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pop — soda
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. root — of a word
  24. dip — a sauce

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