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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the sport
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — a division
  20. degree — temperature
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. racket — a loud noise

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