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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.

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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: key · root · last · mouse · board · cap · mate · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. root — the cause
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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