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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 116 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: last · file · board · key · degree · stand · fork · bear

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — in a road
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. last — finally
  14. key — in music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. last — to go on
  21. board — a committee
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fork — to eat with

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