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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kick — in football
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. root — the cause
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. degree — temperature
  24. root — of a plant

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