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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · bass · date · stick · rule · track · degree · nail

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. track — a path
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. degree — temperature
  13. track — a song
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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