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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: bore · track · cabinet · root · game · degree · saw · can

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — the cause
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bore — to tire
  23. game — a match
  24. track — a song

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