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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — an amount
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mark — a grade
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. foot — the bottom

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