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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · object · degree · net · cue · bore · content · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. key — the most important part
  7. content — the amount
  8. key — for a lock
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — a hint
  11. net — for catching
  12. degree — from a university
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — in music
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to drill
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. object — an aim

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