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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. key — in music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — army training
  10. ground — the earth
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. drill — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. squash — to crush
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. degree — from a university
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to sink
  20. drill — a practice
  21. last — final
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. last — to go on

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