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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. season — in sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. file — a tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — a group
  18. file — a document
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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