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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.

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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: deal · pass · rash · degree · wind · root · key · tube

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — hasty
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wind — moving air
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — a series
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. root — of a plant

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