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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 112 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · staff · kick · mine · key · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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