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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a path
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chair — a leader
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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