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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — to be able to
  5. track — a path
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — from a university
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — after costs
  24. bear — to put up with

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