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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — to keep track
  8. degree — an amount
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. track — a path
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. degree — from a university
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — a container
  24. date — the fruit

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