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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: track · sharp · stick · stem · degree · file · branch · march

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a line of people
  11. march — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a song
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — clever
  24. degree — temperature

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