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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bass — the fish
  9. season — in sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a music group
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. suit — to fit

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