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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: bass · branch · track · leaves · degree · jam · stock · cap

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — a hat
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. track — a path
  11. cap — of ice
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bass — low music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bass — the fish
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stock — shares
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. track — a song

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