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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. degree — temperature
  8. row — to paddle
  9. drill — the tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — the month
  14. plane — a tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. drill — army training
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. drill — a practice
  23. march — music
  24. row — a line

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