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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · fan · perch · root · rush · face · row · degree

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — temperature
  5. root — of a plant
  6. degree — an amount
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — a line
  17. root — of a word
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — from a university
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

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