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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — boats
  5. degree — temperature
  6. present — there
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — the most important part
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — tied together
  19. craft — a skill
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a horse colour

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