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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — of water
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — for a lock
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. current — electric
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — the most important part
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — to get on
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. branch — a division
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. key — in music
  23. toast — bread
  24. branch — of a bank

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