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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — in music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. key — for a lock

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