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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · fork · degree · key · rest · game · vault · board

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — a break
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — to get on
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. board — a committee

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