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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · track · root · key · bass · shower · degree · drill

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. root — the cause
  7. drill — army training
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — a path
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — the most important part
  15. shower — rain
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — a song
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bass — the fish
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. root — of a word

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