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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. swing — music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. content — happy
  15. kick — in football
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hand — in cards

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