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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. degree — temperature
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a song
  9. pop — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pop — soda
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — a path
  16. pop — to visit
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — to push
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — a division
  24. racket — for tennis

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