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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. key — in music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. degree — temperature
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. key — for a lock
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — to dunk

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