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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — an amount
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. degree — from a university
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. degree — temperature
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — a measure

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