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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.

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: squash · drill · net · root · bark · degree · row · ball

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — from a university
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. row — a line
  10. net — after costs
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — to crush
  17. root — of a word
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. degree — temperature
  24. row — a quarrel

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