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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: degree · tear · branch · swing · ruler · root · bore · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — to tire
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tear — to rip
  8. degree — from a university
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — a division
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — electric
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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