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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 · foot · stand · pitcher · lie · staff · jam · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. track — a song
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. track — a path
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — to recline
  24. staff — employees

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