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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 116 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: lean · pass · degree · key · cue · kick · ground · bear

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lean — thin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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