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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — from a university
  22. track — a song
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — of a river

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