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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: toast · fan · track · ground · rule · degree · wake · present

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — the time now
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — bread
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. present — there
  15. track — a path
  16. ground — a position
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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