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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: degree · face · root · roll · suit · season · coach · dip

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. roll — a list
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. roll — a cake
  16. face — to confront
  17. suit — clothes
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — temperature
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. root — the cause
  24. suit — to fit

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