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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. charge — in control
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — a path
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. key — for a lock
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — tied together
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — a song
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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