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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a cup
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. degree — from a university
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — for golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a list
  12. cap — of ice
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a hat
  16. key — in music
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mug — a face
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — a group
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — for dancing

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