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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: track · cabinet · degree · rock · root · snap · stem · ball

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — of a word
  7. degree — an amount
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rock — a stone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a song
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — music
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a great time

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