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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. last — finally
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. degree — an amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. last — to go on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a skill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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