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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a music group
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. degree — from a university
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. key — for a lock

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