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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: ruler · pit · root · degree · mine · dip · can · hand

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — help
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pit — a hole
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hand — in cards
  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