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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 · nail · rash · coach · stand · degree · wind · bowl

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — the cause
  6. rash — a series
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — of a word
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. root — of a plant
  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