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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: game · face · degree · pass · mouse · root · charge · racket

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — the cause
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. face — part of the head
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — a permit
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — a price
  24. pass — to spend time

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