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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bulb — for light
  10. firm — decided
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. degree — temperature
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a line
  20. degree — an amount
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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