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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: deal · dip · ground · pound · clip · root · spring · degree

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a word
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. degree — from a university
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — to handle
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ground — the earth
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. dip — to dunk

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