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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — a grade
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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