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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — a short time
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — letters
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. firm — steady
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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