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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. track — to keep track
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. staff — a stick
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — hurry
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. staff — employees
  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