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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wave · cap · sharp · row · key · pitcher · rule · board

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — a law
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — a line
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. key — in music
  24. cap — a lid

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