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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 116 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: degree · bear · track · plane · bound · coach · rock · wake

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bear — the animal

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