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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. degree — temperature
  10. spell — magic
  11. suit — clothes
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a song
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — happy
  18. date — the fruit
  19. track — a path
  20. content — the amount
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — from a university

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