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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. club — a group
  11. fine — high quality
  12. degree — temperature
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — an illness
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fine — all right
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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