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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 120 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. degree — from a university
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. capital — money
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. snap — to click
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — a grade
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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