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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. degree — temperature
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — from a university
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — of ice
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — music

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