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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — a line
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — in music
  12. row — to paddle
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — of the year
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — temperature

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