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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 120 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: staff · degree · scale · nail · kick · pit · root · wave

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kick — in football
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. degree — from a university
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. staff — a stick
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. scale — size or range
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. root — the cause
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. scale — in music

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