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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — an amount
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to

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