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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: roll · degree · club · toast · spell · bore · board · cabinet

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. degree — an amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for golf
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — to get on
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. roll — a list
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a cake
  24. board — a committee

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