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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — hurry
  11. track — a song
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — a box

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