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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. degree — temperature
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — not warm
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rock — music
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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