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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 124 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — an amount
  22. season — of the year
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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