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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: degree · cabinet · lie · bank · patient · squash · pitch · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — to crush
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — to recline
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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