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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — the underground
  3. degree — from a university
  4. track — a song
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. degree — temperature
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tube — a container
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — to push
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rock — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rock — to move gently

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