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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 116 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: squash · key · tear · chair · degree · pop · shower · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pop — music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — to wash
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — in music
  7. root — of a word
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tear — from crying
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tear — to rip
  24. chair — a leader

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