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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 · hide · foot · land · net · degree · can · firm

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. firm — decided
  3. net — for catching
  4. degree — an amount
  5. land — a country
  6. key — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — in sport
  12. land — ground
  13. net — after costs
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — to be able to
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — for a lock
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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