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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — for pool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — of a word
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. root — the cause
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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