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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. roll — a list
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — an amount
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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