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

Word bank: key · dip · pitch · saw · degree · drill · bound · nail

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. dip — to sink
  7. key — for a lock
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — in music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bound — tied together
  18. degree — temperature
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — certain
  24. key — the most important part

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