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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. degree — an amount
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. track — a path
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a grade
  22. track — a song
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — high quality

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