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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.

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: stick · degree · drill · season · pitcher · perch · cap · key

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — army training
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. key — in music
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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