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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: date · board · capital · stem · fine · degree · bound · track

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — a city
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. fine — all right
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. degree — from a university
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — a big letter

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