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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rock — music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — a horse colour

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