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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — for a lock
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. chip — to eat
  24. straw — dry grass

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