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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — of ice
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — help
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hand — in cards

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