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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: cue · plane · bark · degree · stock · press · track · temple

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. press — a publisher
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. track — a path
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — to push
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — a hint
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — a signal

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