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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. club — for golf
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mug — a face
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — low music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — an amount
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — to hurry

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