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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 124 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — an amount
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — crushed
  8. degree — temperature
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ground — a position
  24. racket — for tennis

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