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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: bay · root · degree · sharp · wake · fork · dip · stock

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wake — a trail
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — clever
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. fork — in a road
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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