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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 · drill · perch · ball · cue · ground · game · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. cue — a hint
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. game — a match
  11. ball — a dance
  12. game — wild animals
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — from a university
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. perch — for a bird

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