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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. can — a tin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. season — of the year
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — from a university
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. can — a tin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — animal skin
  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