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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. swing — music
  15. track — a path
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — to shout
  19. firm — a company
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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