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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. degree — an amount
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. degree — temperature
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — for golf
  22. swing — music
  23. rock — music
  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