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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: toast · mark · spell · perch · degree · file · key · net

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. net — for catching
  8. mark — a trace
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — a grade
  12. file — a document
  13. degree — an amount
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a line of people
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — in music

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