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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 116 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. degree — from a university
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. land — a country
  8. swing — music
  9. land — to come down
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — in sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pit — in a race

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