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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — an amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — a path
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. row — to paddle
  12. track — a song
  13. land — to come down
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stand — to bear
  18. land — ground
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. land — a country
  22. object — to protest
  23. chest — of your body
  24. track — to keep track

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