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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. degree — an amount
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fine — all right
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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