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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — a tool
  6. club — a group
  7. board — to get on
  8. toast — bread
  9. track — a path
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — a committee
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — electric
  19. track — a song
  20. club — for dancing
  21. degree — temperature
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. toast — the most admired

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