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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — in music
  11. mate — to breed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. key — for a lock
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — of a river
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — an amount

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