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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cap — a lid
  3. season — of the year
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. season — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chip — for betting
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — to visit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — for catching
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — soda

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