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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. degree — from a university
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  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