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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — ground
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — temperature
  6. swing — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. land — a country
  11. mug — a face
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. swing — in golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mug — a cup
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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