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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.

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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: degree · chip · cue · bay · kick · perch · roll · key

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. key — the most important part
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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