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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: bound · key · last · bay · court · degree · lean · roll

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — of a king
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — an amount
  12. last — to go on
  13. court — of law
  14. lean — thin
  15. roll — a list
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a cake
  18. last — finally
  19. degree — from a university
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. key — in music
  24. lean — to bend

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