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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: degree · key · cue · bat · mark · charge · nail · court

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — a trace
  5. key — in music
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mark — a grade
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — for baseball

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