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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
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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: patient · wax · bark · pit · degree · shower · root · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. degree — temperature
  5. scale — in music
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a hole
  24. degree — an amount

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