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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — from a university
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stand — to bear
  13. degree — temperature
  14. foot — a measure
  15. roll — a cake
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. roll — a list
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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