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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. file — a document
  3. degree — an amount
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — a football final

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