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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rock — a stone
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — in a race
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — from a university
  22. kick — in football
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — with a leg

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