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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tube — the underground
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. tube — a container
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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