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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fall — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a song
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. toast — bread
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. current — of water
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. track — a path
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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