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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: key · date · ball · bound · pitch · pitcher · nail · degree

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. degree — an amount
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. degree — from a university
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. degree — temperature
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. date — on the calendar

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