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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: toast · rule · key · last · bowl · degree · hide · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — finally
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. degree — an amount
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — bread
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. degree — temperature
  18. key — in music
  19. last — final
  20. degree — from a university
  21. last — to go on
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — government

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