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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: pop · bear · march · degree · coach · fan · bay · race

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pop — soda
  16. race — humankind
  17. degree — temperature
  18. race — a contest
  19. march — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — music
  23. march — the month
  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