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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: coach · rock · lash · bear · track · degree · mark · stem

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. track — a path
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a song
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — an amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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