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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mug — to rob
  9. key — the most important part
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. suit — in cards
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — from a university
  17. saw — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. suit — to fit
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. drill — the tool

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