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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: field · root · rock · pop · dip · kick · bank · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — to visit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. root — of a word
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — soda
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — of a river
  24. field — farmland

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