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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spell — a short time
  4. degree — an amount
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — in biology
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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