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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. degree — from a university
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rash — a series
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bear — the animal
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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