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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. track — a path
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. suit — to fit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a lid
  8. degree — an amount
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. degree — temperature
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — a series
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rash — hasty

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