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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: fork · trunk · net · bark · face · mark · degree · root

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bark — to shout
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. degree — an amount
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fork — in a road
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. root — the cause
  19. face — to confront
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. degree — temperature

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