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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. deal — to handle
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wound — an injury
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rock — music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rash — a series
  23. degree — an amount
  24. capital — money

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