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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mate — to breed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — a price
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pop — music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — in control
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wind — moving air
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — to be able to

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