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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — letters
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. key — the most important part

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