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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 120 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 · fine · game · pop · foot · root · safe · wax

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. degree — temperature
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — soda
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. degree — from a university
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fine — all right
  14. root — of a word
  15. game — a match
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pop — to visit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. degree — an amount
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fine — high quality

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