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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a path
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. row — to paddle
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a song
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. track — to keep track
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bass — the fish
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — low music

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