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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. board — a committee
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. degree — an amount
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. chest — of your body

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