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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. swing — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bat — the animal
  5. key — in music
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mug — to rob
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rock — music
  14. mug — a face
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rock — a stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bat — for baseball

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