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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 · key · root · stick · calf · rule · spring · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rule — government
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tear — from crying
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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