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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — all right
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. current — electric
  13. degree — from a university
  14. track — a path
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bulb — for light

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