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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. degree — temperature
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a face
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — magic
  22. track — a path
  23. spell — a short time
  24. plane — a tool

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