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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: arm · degree · key · dip · clip · bear · root · board

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. degree — temperature
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. clip — a video
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. root — of a word
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — part of the body

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