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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. degree — an amount
  3. band — a music group
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. track — a song
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. band — a ring
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kick — in football
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a path
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kick — a thrill

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