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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
468
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: rock · degree · present · coach · sharp · drill · root · bank

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — there
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — for money
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. drill — army training
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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