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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pop — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — for money

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