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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — in music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a match
  19. degree — an amount
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. trunk — of a car
  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