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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — from a university
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — bread
  8. key — the most important part
  9. track — a song
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. degree — an amount
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — to protest

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