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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.

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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: face · net · pit · bore · degree · field · toast · root

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. bore — to tire
  7. root — of a word
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — from a university
  11. field — a subject
  12. bore — to drill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. face — to point toward
  17. net — after costs
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. root — the cause
  21. pit — a hole
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. face — part of the head

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