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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. firm — steady
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. firm — decided
  15. pitch — completely
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — a company
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. trunk — of a tree

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