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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a song
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bass — the fish
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitch — completely
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bass — low music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. degree — an amount

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