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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — temperature
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — a lid
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a document
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a cup
  24. safe — out of danger

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