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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. key — the most important part
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — for a lock
  12. degree — an amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — clever
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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