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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — to paddle
  7. degree — temperature
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. game — wild animals
  18. board — a committee
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. staff — a stick
  23. arm — a part of something
  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