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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. degree — an amount
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — temperature
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. present — there
  12. track — a path
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — government
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — thin
  24. pit — in a race

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