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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 · degree · straw · key · ball · race · kick · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. dip — to sink
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. degree — an amount
  13. toast — bread
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. degree — temperature
  17. key — the most important part
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a dance

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