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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — a container
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — the most important part
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — to get on
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — a division
  22. key — in music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bat — for baseball

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