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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — crushed
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — a position
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — the earth
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. key — in music
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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