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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: cap · key · nail · spring · deal · pound · degree · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — in music
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. key — for a lock
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — a big deal

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