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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a path
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rash — a series
  20. mark — a trace
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — ministers

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