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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — to trim
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ground — a position
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — an illness

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