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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: degree · key · squash · straw · charge · jam · rock · chair

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. degree — temperature
  3. squash — to crush
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — the sport
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rock — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — in control

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