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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. spell — letters
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spell — magic
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — music
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rock — a stone
  19. net — in sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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