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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. degree — an amount
  3. present — there
  4. can — to be able to
  5. track — a song
  6. degree — from a university
  7. present — the time now
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. degree — temperature
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — a gift
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. field — farmland

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