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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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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: bowl · key · stand · leaves · mouse · kick · degree · march

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. degree — from a university
  6. key — the most important part
  7. march — music
  8. degree — an amount
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  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