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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — to paddle
  7. track — a song
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. degree — temperature
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. row — a line
  24. bat — the animal

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