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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · bay · cold · bass · bore · stem · degree · fine

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a path
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cold — an illness

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