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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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mug — a cup
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. firm — a company
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — steady
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — decided
  17. file — a document
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. degree — from a university
  22. file — a tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a line of people

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