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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. club — for golf
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a list
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — a leader
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. club — a group

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