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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · key · board · degree · mark · file · squash · game

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. board — a committee
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a document
  6. degree — an amount
  7. game — a match
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. game — wild animals
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. degree — temperature
  16. file — a tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. board — to get on
  19. squash — to crush
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the sport
  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