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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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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: spell · rock · deal · saw · root · degree · last · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spell — magic
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — of a word
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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