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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: degree · bound · fall · stock · jam · track · rest · fan

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — tied together
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a path
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. track — to keep track
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bound — obliged
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — the season

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