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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
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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: cold · key · toast · fine · foot · can · temple · degree

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — in music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cold — not warm
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fine — high quality
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. key — the most important part
  20. degree — from a university
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. foot — a measure

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