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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: mouse · hide · track · capital · bay · leaves · fine · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fine — all right
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — a city
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. degree — temperature
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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