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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 116 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
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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: sharp · mug · stem · cue · root · bay · degree · bass

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mug — to rob
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. degree — from a university

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