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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: spell · bay · stick · degree · mark · game · bound · key

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — in music
  3. degree — temperature
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — magic
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — wild animals

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