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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — the most important part
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. clip — a video
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — clever
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — in music
  20. fine — all right
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — shares

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