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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. track — a path
  3. suit — to fit
  4. track — a song
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. dip — to sink
  16. suit — clothes
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — in cards
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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