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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. game — wild animals
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — to roll

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