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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · root · rock · pass · mine · wax · tube · present

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. degree — an amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a word
  6. tube — a container
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. present — there
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. degree — temperature
  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