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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mark — a grade
  7. degree — an amount
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mark — a trace
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. key — the most important part
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to click
  23. dip — to sink
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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