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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. firm — steady
  8. game — wild animals
  9. band — a ring
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. toast — bread
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — from a university
  14. band — a music group
  15. degree — an amount
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a match
  19. degree — temperature
  20. firm — decided
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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