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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: bark · root · stem · degree · bear · saw · charge · swing

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — an amount
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — to shout
  6. root — of a plant
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — in golf
  13. charge — in control
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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