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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. bore — to drill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lean — thin
  17. stock — shares
  18. bat — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — an amount
  21. kick — in football
  22. suit — clothes
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — to rest against

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