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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — a path
  4. club — for dancing
  5. track — to keep track
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — a group
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. bass — low music
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. degree — from a university

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