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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. degree — an amount
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — in music
  8. root — the cause
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. swing — music
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — temperature
  14. court — of a king
  15. root — of a word
  16. swing — to play on
  17. board — to get on
  18. degree — from a university
  19. face — to confront
  20. root — of a plant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — for a lock

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