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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · degree · wake · squash · bowl · fine · leaves

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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