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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 · plane · degree · temple · mine · fork · bowl · roll

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — a tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — a list
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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