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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · cold · bowl · root · cabinet · degree · lean · present

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cold — not warm
  3. degree — from a university
  4. present — the time now
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — a gift
  9. root — of a word
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — there
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a dish

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