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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. net — in sport

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