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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: track · row · rush · key · toast · degree · chair · kick

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. row — to paddle
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — a song
  7. key — in music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chair — a leader
  13. row — a line
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. key — for a lock
  20. toast — bread
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — with a leg

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