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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — to crush
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fine — high quality
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — from a university
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — to breed
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — letters

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