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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — a path
  9. net — for catching
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — an amount
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — from a university
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — in sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — a song
  24. mouse — for a computer

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