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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — to recline
  11. track — to keep track
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — music
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. key — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — child
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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