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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — farmland
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — to sink
  19. field — a subject
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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