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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: rock · scale · root · degree · bowl · pop · current · mouse

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — happening now
  8. scale — in music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. scale — size or range
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. current — of water
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. current — electric

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