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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: degree · season · track · firm · bear · bound · board · bank

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. season — in sport
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — decided
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — obliged
  18. season — of the year
  19. bound — tied together
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. firm — a company
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — to keep track

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