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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. degree — from a university
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fine — high quality
  10. track — to keep track
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cap — a hat
  14. key — the most important part
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fine — all right
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. track — a path

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