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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: root · degree · bank · bear · present · ground · fine · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fine — all right
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — there
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — of a river
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bear — the animal

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