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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. degree — an amount
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ball — a round shape

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