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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.

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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: rock · object · track · bore · bank · degree · stem · sharp

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — from a university
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. object — a thing
  17. bore — to drill
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — a stone
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rock — music
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rock — to move gently

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