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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 · current · date · bay · track · stick · roll · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. current — of water
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. current — electric
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. track — a song
  12. bark — to shout
  13. degree — temperature
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. degree — an amount
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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