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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. present — the time now
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stock — shares
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — a cup
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — goods
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mug — a face

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