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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a dance
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — the amount
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. content — happy
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — for a lock
  24. content — videos and posts

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