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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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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 · degree · mark · bore · chip · cap · rest · perch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — from a university

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