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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — a hint
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — an amount
  12. content — happy
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — to recline
  16. court — of a king
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. key — in music
  24. degree — from a university

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