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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: can · last · cabinet · field · root · sharp · leaves · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. field — a subject
  8. degree — an amount
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. last — finally
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — of a word
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — from a university
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — for sport
  24. last — to go on

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