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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 · file · coach · root · current · bulb · mate · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — a friend
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — electric
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a word
  19. degree — temperature
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a tool
  23. root — the cause
  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