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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. snap — to click
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — of ice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. degree — from a university
  15. swing — music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cap — a lid

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