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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: mate · can · degree · root · bowl · bear · season · vault

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — an amount
  10. vault — a safe
  11. degree — from a university
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. root — the cause
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — a partner
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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