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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — from a university
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. cue — for pool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. staff — employees
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. degree — an amount

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