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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 120 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: branch · patient · root · degree · bass · pass · bore · track

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. root — the cause
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bass — low music
  11. degree — an amount
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. track — a path
  18. pass — a permit
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pass — to succeed

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