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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — an amount
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — the earth
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. object — an aim
  13. rule — government
  14. object — a thing
  15. season — in sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — to protest
  24. game — wild animals

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