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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · jam · lean · mouse · saw · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — a song
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. mouse — for a computer

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