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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — an amount
  5. march — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — temperature
  9. net — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. root — the cause
  14. degree — from a university
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — after costs
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. root — of a plant

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