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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — of the year
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. toast — bread
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — to shout
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  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