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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 · lie · land · date · nail · bay · coach · capital

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — the fruit
  4. capital — money
  5. land — ground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a city
  9. land — a country
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — to come down
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. degree — from a university

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