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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. object — a thing
  3. track — a song
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — to handle
  6. object — to protest
  7. spring — a coil
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spring — the season
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. firm — steady
  17. suit — clothes
  18. firm — decided
  19. land — to come down
  20. degree — from a university
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — an aim
  24. suit — in cards

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