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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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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: leaves · sharp · key · tube · degree · board · file · foot

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. file — a document
  3. key — for a lock
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. degree — temperature
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a committee
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. degree — from a university

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