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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — to wash
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rock — music
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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