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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to click
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — a stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rock — music
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — to keep track
  19. dip — to sink
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — the underground

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