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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a ring
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. band — a music group
  24. club — for golf

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