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

Word bank: mouse · wax · chest · present · degree · bay · bowl · pitcher

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — there

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