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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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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: root · content · rash · degree · toast · bark · present · club

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — a gift
  6. content — the amount
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bark — to shout
  10. degree — an amount
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — a group
  14. present — there
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — happy
  17. toast — bread
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for golf
  22. present — the time now
  23. root — the cause
  24. bark — of a tree

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