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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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. degree — from a university
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — to get on
  5. suit — clothes
  6. board — a committee
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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