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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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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: root · jam · ruler · temple · degree · capital · mark · fork

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. degree — from a university
  9. root — the cause
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. root — of a word
  17. mark — a trace
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — a city
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. jam — a tight spot

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