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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: bay · object · cabinet · spring · pass · root · fork · degree

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — temperature
  21. root — of a word
  22. spring — the season
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spring — of water

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