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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: suit · sharp · dip · degree · root · stem · file · roll

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. suit — to fit
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. degree — an amount
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — a list
  11. degree — from a university
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — in cards
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — the cause
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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