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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: degree · fan · stand · bay · bat · drill · ruler · season

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. degree — from a university
  3. season — in sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — of the year
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — to bear
  15. drill — army training
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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