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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 120 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: degree · content · fine · pop · pitch · nail · stick · key

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — high quality
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. key — in music
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fine — all right
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fine — a penalty

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