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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — shares
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — a path
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. track — a song
  22. key — in music
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — in the ear

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