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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. deal — to handle
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — soda
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. field — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. chip — for betting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. field — farmland
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chip — to eat

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