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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pop — soda
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. track — a path
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. degree — from a university
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a dance
  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