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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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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: stick · hand · lash · game · degree · firm · track · can

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. firm — steady
  20. degree — from a university
  21. can — to be able to
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  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