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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — the tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — a song
  6. club — for dancing
  7. drill — army training
  8. club — a group
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. net — after costs
  14. club — for golf
  15. degree — from a university
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — a jug

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