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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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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: land · pitcher · racket · bay · lean · mark · bound · degree

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — ground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — certain
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — a country
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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