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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rock — a stone
  5. degree — temperature
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rock — music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — from a university
  24. face — to point toward

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