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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. degree — temperature
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — of the year
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — a weight
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. degree — from a university
  24. racket — for tennis

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