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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. craft — a skill
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bound — obliged
  11. degree — an amount
  12. craft — boats
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — high quality
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — a weight
  21. track — a song
  22. face — to point toward
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — all right

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