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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: degree · root · nail · pop · bark · net · drill · rest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a word
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — a break
  5. pop — soda
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — of a plant
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — an amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. bark — to shout

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