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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — of the year
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mark — a grade
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. degree — from a university
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to sink
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — wild animals

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