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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
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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: degree · root · object · track · hide · tube · charge · sharp

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — clever
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a plant
  6. charge — in control
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. degree — from a university
  11. track — a path
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. charge — electricity
  14. root — the cause
  15. object — to protest
  16. charge — a price
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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