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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. kick — in football
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bound — certain
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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