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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bank — of a river
  22. court — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — a straw man

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