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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — for sport
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — from a university
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cell — in biology
  19. court — of a king
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of law
  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