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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cap — of ice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — in cards
  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