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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — a face
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — a trail
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. track — a path
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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