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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.

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. key — for a lock
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — of a word
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. degree — temperature

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