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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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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 · mate · safe · date · toast · bark · bank · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. root — of a word
  3. bank — for money
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a plant
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. toast — bread
  24. date — the fruit

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