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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: saw · mug · jam · field · pitcher · track · degree · dip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. field — farmland
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — temperature
  8. field — for sport
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — to sink
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. field — a subject
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — an amount

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