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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · firm · racket · sharp · key · club · present · degree

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. firm — steady
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — a gift
  8. hand — in cards
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — there
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — a group
  19. present — the time now
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. hand — help
  23. firm — a company
  24. club — for dancing

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