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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 116 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: degree · mug · root · game · snap · cap · mouse · saw

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — the cause
  16. degree — an amount
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cap — a lid
  24. game — a kind of play

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