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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: degree · key · tube · board · pitch · drill · current · staff

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — of water
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitch — completely
  9. drill — a practice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. degree — from a university
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — electric
  17. staff — a stick
  18. degree — temperature
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — the most important part
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — employees

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