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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
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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: arm · degree · last · spell · club · dip · track · ruler

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — a group
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — to sink
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. club — for dancing
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spell — magic
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. club — for golf
  24. spell — letters

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