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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: stick · cap · band · degree · sharp · content · key · board

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — happy
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — in music
  9. board — to get on
  10. content — the amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. key — the most important part
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. degree — an amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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