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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a dance
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — for sport
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. key — for a lock
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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