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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · spell · capital · key · toast · wound · degree · pitcher

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spell — a short time
  11. capital — a city
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wound — an injury
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — bread
  23. degree — temperature
  24. key — the most important part

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