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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. track — a song
  3. fall — the season
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. date — the fruit
  9. track — a path
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a hat
  19. track — to keep track
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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