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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — an amount
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. object — an aim
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — a thing
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. degree — from a university
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. club — a group

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