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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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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rash — a series
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a path
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pop — music
  11. track — a song
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pop — soda
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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