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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — an amount
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. swing — to play on
  11. degree — temperature
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — government
  21. swing — music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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