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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — to keep track
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. prune — to trim
  6. degree — from a university
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mug — a face
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — temperature

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