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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: suit · key · net · degree · rest · squash · jam · face

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. net — for catching
  3. degree — from a university
  4. key — for a lock
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to point toward
  12. squash — to crush
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rest — what's left
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. net — after costs
  22. key — in music
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. face — to confront

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