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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · object · root · present · march · pitcher · degree · roll

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. degree — temperature
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — a gift
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — a list
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. march — the month
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — of a word
  22. roll — a cake
  23. present — there
  24. march — the month

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