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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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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — the most important part
  3. degree — from a university
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. root — the cause
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — steady
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — to get on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bound — certain

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