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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · degree · nail · present · stand · pass · track · fall

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — the season
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a song
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. present — there
  20. fall — to drop
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — the time now
  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