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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — a match
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cap — of ice
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — an amount
  14. spell — letters
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spell — magic
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — hasty
  21. game — wild animals
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rash — a series

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