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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 116 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: cell · root · mouse · net · craft · degree · present · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cell — in biology
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. degree — temperature
  18. craft — boats
  19. net — for catching
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. craft — a skill
  24. present — a gift

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