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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · bay · nail · fan · chair · march · degree · pitcher

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — to cool the air

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