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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: stick · bound · degree · spring · jam · fall · stock · rock

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bound — certain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stock — goods
  8. degree — from a university
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — a coil
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — the season
  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