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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — the most important part
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — in music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. foot — part of the body

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