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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — happening now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — a stick
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bat — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — in an idiom

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