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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — temperature
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. last — finally
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — to go on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. last — final
  24. sharp — clever

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