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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — from a university
  7. firm — steady
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. drill — a practice
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — temperature
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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