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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.

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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: mark · swing · degree · root · tear · drill · pop · pitcher

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — in golf
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pop — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tear — from crying
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. degree — temperature
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. root — the cause
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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