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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — an amount
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — hasty
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — all right
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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