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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mate — a friend
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — all right
  10. wind — moving air
  11. court — of law
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. court — of a king
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. spell — letters
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — an amount

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