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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — farmland
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — a song
  10. field — a subject
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. track — to keep track
  16. field — for sport
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a path
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the fish
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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