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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: degree · sharp · staff · saw · root · bark · rock · track

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — a stone
  5. track — a path
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. degree — temperature
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — an amount
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. degree — from a university

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