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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. track — to keep track
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. toast — bread
  6. track — a song
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hand — in cards
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. degree — temperature
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — help
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. degree — an amount
  19. suit — in cards
  20. land — a country
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — from a university
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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