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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.

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: degree · squash · pitcher · cabinet · cue · clip · temple · root

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. clip — to cut
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. clip — a video
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — of a plant

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