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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. degree — temperature
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the fish
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. shower — rain
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. toast — bread
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. club — a group
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a horse colour

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