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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: straw · foot · mate · root · degree · mark · bound · jam

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. root — the cause
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bound — obliged
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mate — a friend
  18. root — of a word
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — a trace
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bound — certain
  23. degree — from a university
  24. straw — dry grass

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