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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — the most important part
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — for a lock
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. suit — to fit
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — the amount
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — in music
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — a grade

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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