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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: pop · root · degree · firm · net · dip · court · present

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. present — the time now
  3. firm — steady
  4. pop — soda
  5. root — of a word
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — temperature
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of a king
  10. pop — to visit
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — an amount
  19. root — the cause
  20. present — there
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

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