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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.

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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: bowl · key · kick · lean · band · fine · degree · pitcher

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. band — a ring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fine — high quality
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — temperature

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