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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 116 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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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: mate · stem · fine · bowl · degree · bound · racket · root

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mate — a friend
  18. root — the cause
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bound — certain
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bowl — a football final

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