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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: pop · degree · fall · root · squash · plane · mate · court

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. root — the cause
  2. squash — to crush
  3. degree — temperature
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a partner
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a word
  14. degree — an amount
  15. court — of law
  16. pop — to visit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — for sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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