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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — a position

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