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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. row — to paddle
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — a line
  24. bat — the animal

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