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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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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: fall · track · stand · degree · saw · band · pop · board

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. track — a path
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pop — soda
  23. degree — temperature
  24. band — a ring

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