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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 120 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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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: mark · row · bear · stand · degree · fine · stick · pound

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. degree — from a university
  21. row — a line
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pound — to hit hard

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