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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: jam · tube · track · stand · mark · degree · coach · stock

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stock — goods
  13. degree — temperature
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — shares
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. degree — an amount
  24. track — a path

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