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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. current — of water
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — a path
  12. present — there
  13. current — electric
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — the time now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. track — a song
  24. present — a gift

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