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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. track — a path
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — to keep track
  16. degree — temperature
  17. track — a song
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pop — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — for tennis

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