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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. degree — from a university
  23. track — a path
  24. degree — temperature

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