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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
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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: root · sharp · press · bound · degree · perch · track · bark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. track — a path
  7. degree — an amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. degree — from a university
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. track — a song

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