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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. club — a group
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — the season
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — for dancing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — of water

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