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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. key — for a lock
  6. degree — an amount
  7. march — music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — in music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. degree — temperature
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. game — a match
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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