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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: row · track · current · root · safe · degree · prune · pop

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pop — to visit
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — happening now
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. track — a path
  12. current — electric
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — of water
  19. track — to keep track
  20. degree — from a university
  21. root — of a plant
  22. degree — temperature
  23. row — a line
  24. root — the cause

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