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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 120 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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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: lash · stick · kick · root · bear · chip · pound · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. degree — temperature
  13. kick — in football
  14. root — of a word
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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