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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: spell · degree · chip · root · drill · field · toast · foot

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. degree — temperature
  3. chip — for betting
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. root — the cause
  11. degree — from a university
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — a subject
  16. root — of a word
  17. field — farmland
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — a short time
  20. field — for sport
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. degree — an amount

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