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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mug — a face
  3. cue — a signal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cue — a hint
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mug — a cup
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a ring
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — to rob
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. band — a music group
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cue — for pool

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