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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: calf · stick · land · degree · key · court · board · track

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. track — a path
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — to keep track
  6. key — in music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. court — for sport
  9. land — a country
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of a king
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of law
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — from a university
  23. track — a song
  24. board — a flat piece

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