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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. net — for catching
  12. tube — a container
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — to bear
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — after costs

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