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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — the cause
  8. board — a committee
  9. root — of a word
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wake — a trail
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. scale — size or range
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — from a university
  24. scale — 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