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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — a series
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rash — on the skin

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