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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. degree — temperature
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a music group

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