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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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468
Word bank
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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. degree — an amount
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — a committee
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — to get on
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bore — to drill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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