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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: track · rush · stock · bound · wake · calf · degree · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stock — goods
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — tied together

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