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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — for a lock
  4. degree — an amount
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — steady
  17. bore — to drill
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — a line
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — in music
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. key — the most important part

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