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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. swing — in golf
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. swing — music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — to play on
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — to breed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. degree — temperature
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — of the year

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