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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 116 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: pitcher · plane · cabinet · degree · mug · lie · club · key

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. key — in music
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — temperature
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — for a lock
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — a jug

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