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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: pop · lie · mate · track · degree · fan · bulb · pitcher

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pop — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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