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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: pass · chest · board · bay · degree · tear · ball · suit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — a permit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chest — of your body
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tear — from crying

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