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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: rush · cap · degree · jam · present · roll · fan · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. degree — from a university
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — a hat
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. present — there
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — the time now
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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