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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 · kick · bore · chest · degree · ball · straw · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bore — to drill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. key — for a lock
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — in football
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chest — a box

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