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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a word
  4. drill — army training
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. degree — an amount
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. drill — a practice
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — of a plant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. track — to keep track
  24. craft — boats

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