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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — for catching
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — after costs
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — in sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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