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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. file — a tool
  5. degree — an amount
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — the fruit
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — temperature
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. degree — from a university
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — size or range
  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