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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — from crying
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. foot — a measure
  16. degree — from a university
  17. roll — a list
  18. degree — an amount
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — a practice
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — in music

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