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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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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: lie · foot · mouse · key · deal · stand · bear · degree

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. key — in music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — a measure
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — to bear
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — for a computer

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