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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — size or range
  6. degree — temperature
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — a song
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — a path

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