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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. degree — an amount
  3. foot — a measure
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — from a university
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tear — to rip
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tear — from crying
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — the most important part
  24. tear — from crying

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