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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bound — certain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. leaves — lets stay

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