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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bear — the animal
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. march — music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. toast — bread
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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