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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. wave — with your hand
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — in music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hand — help
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. key — for a lock
  14. degree — from a university
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. key — the most important part
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — there
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — a gift
  24. can — to be able to

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