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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
468
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: degree · rash · board · ground · date · plane · root · cold

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. degree — temperature
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — to get on
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — an amount
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cold — not warm
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — the cause
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. ground — a position
  24. date — on the calendar

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