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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: roll · chair · cap · root · degree · scale · hide · firm

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — in music
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. root — of a word
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. root — the cause
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — a company
  24. scale — size or range

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