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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · firm · ball · root · degree · bowl · wake · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. firm — steady
  18. ball — a dance
  19. root — the cause
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chest — a box
  22. firm — decided
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. degree — from a university

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