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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — of ice
  8. degree — temperature
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — for a lock
  12. capital — a city
  13. cap — a hat
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. capital — money
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. key — in music

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