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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — to visit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — steady
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — a stone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — decided
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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