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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — to keep track
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — goods
  10. mug — a face
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mug — a cup
  18. net — for catching
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — to rob
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — a trainer

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