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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · chip · root · mine · degree · snap · sharp · bark

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bark — to shout
  11. snap — to click
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bound — certain

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