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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: root · charge · last · squash · kid · fine · degree · press

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. squash — the sport
  5. press — to push
  6. root — the cause
  7. charge — electricity
  8. last — to go on
  9. charge — a price
  10. fine — all right
  11. root — of a plant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. last — final
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — in control
  16. degree — from a university
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — finally
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. press — a publisher

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