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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 120 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: wound · key · root · bulb · leaves · degree · ground · cabinet

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — an injury
  24. root — of a word

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