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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
468
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: degree · mark · scale · capital · bulb · root · object · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — of a word
  6. mug — to rob
  7. root — the cause
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mark — a grade
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mug — a face
  17. capital — money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — temperature
  20. scale — size or range
  21. object — to protest
  22. mark — a trace
  23. degree — from a university
  24. object — a thing

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