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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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