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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. last — to go on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. last — finally
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — an amount
  23. last — final
  24. key — the most important part

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