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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: degree · squash · game · lie · root · bat · fall · pass

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. degree — an amount
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. game — a match
  16. squash — to crush
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fall — the season
  24. lie — to recline

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