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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — an amount
  8. key — in music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — of a word
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of a king
  22. root — the cause
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. court — of law

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