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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — a song
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — to handle
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a path
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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