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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: charge · track · pitcher · vault · key · straw · bat · degree

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. key — for a lock
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. degree — an amount
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. key — in music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bat — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. charge — a price
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. degree — from a university
  20. track — to keep track
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a path

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