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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
468
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: mate · ground · degree · present · key · nail · mouse · racket

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. present — the time now
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — there
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — in music
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — for a lock

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