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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: rock · track · row · degree · stand · coach · craft · branch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. track — a path
  3. row — a line
  4. track — a song
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rock — music
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. degree — from a university
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — temperature
  20. branch — a division
  21. craft — boats
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — an amount

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