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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.

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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 · track · content · stem · bank · sharp · plane · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. root — of a word
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — the amount
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. content — happy
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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