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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. scale — in music
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. degree — from a university
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mark — to pay attention

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