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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — in music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rash — hasty
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — a thing
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — in sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — to protest
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a trace

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