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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — temperature
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. land — to come down
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — an amount
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — a country
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. track — a song
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. foot — a measure
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wax — to grow

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