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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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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: bound · stock · degree · dip · rush · jam · pass · hand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — hurry
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — help
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bound — obliged

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