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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — certain
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — tied together
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — of ice

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