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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — a song
  4. row — to paddle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. row — a line
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — in music

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