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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 120 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: bass · pass · stem · degree · bear · track · leaves · rush

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pass — a permit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a path
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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