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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. degree — temperature
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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