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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — from a university
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. swing — music
  8. roll — a cake
  9. degree — temperature
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. roll — a list
  16. mug — a face
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — an amount
  20. swing — in golf
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — a cup

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