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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
YesNo
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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 · saw · hide · charge · mug · key · racket · row

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — electricity
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mug — to rob
  7. degree — temperature
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mug — a face
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. degree — an amount
  21. mug — a cup
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hide — animal skin

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