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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — in music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — music
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — to be able to
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rule — government
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pop — to visit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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