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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — a company
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — decided
  11. track — a path
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — an amount
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — to go away

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