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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · net · fan · pit · bass · bore · last · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — for catching
  4. bass — low music
  5. net — in sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. last — final
  13. net — after costs
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. last — finally
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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