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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: pop · bat · rest · present · mate · bound · degree · key

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. present — there
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — a break
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — a gift
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bound — certain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bat — the animal

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