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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: net · object · degree · calf · root · rock · tear · pass

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. net — in sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — temperature
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. object — a thing
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — for catching
  24. degree — an amount

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