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

Word bank: degree · coach · wind · mark · club · arm · bay · wake

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — from a university
  8. club — a group
  9. wind — moving air
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. degree — an amount
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a horse colour

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