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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. degree — from a university
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — to protest
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. track — a path
  18. object — a thing
  19. rock — music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

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