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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: drill · bat · rest · perch · root · plane · degree · chip

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a word
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — for betting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — a break
  10. root — the cause
  11. drill — the tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. drill — army training
  15. rest — what's left
  16. drill — a practice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. plane — in geometry

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