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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a committee
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — in music
  11. root — the cause
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — in biology
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to point toward
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. track — a path
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. game — a match

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