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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. firm — decided
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. track — a path
  9. degree — from a university
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. degree — an amount
  24. drill — a practice

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