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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. board — to get on
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. track — a song
  9. mate — to breed
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. degree — temperature
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. board — a committee
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — to keep track

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