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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: degree · stand · can · bore · fan · foot · spring · track

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. can — a tin
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spring — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a song
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bore — to tire
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — the season
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fan — to cool the air

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