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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. track — a song
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — to keep track
  11. band — a music group
  12. degree — temperature
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. degree — from a university
  17. band — a ring
  18. firm — steady
  19. track — a path
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — there
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. degree — an amount
  24. firm — decided

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