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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — money
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a hat
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bay — a horse colour

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