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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spring — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pit — a hole
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — boats

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