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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. firm — decided
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. rash — a series
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — in the ear

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