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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — for pool
  10. firm — decided
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — a trail
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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