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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bat — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — temperature

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