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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: mark · chair · fall · current · content · stand · tube · degree

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — electric
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — happening now
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. degree — from a university
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mark — a trace
  20. content — happy
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — of water

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