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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — music
  7. march — the month
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. degree — from a university
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a ring
  20. degree — an amount
  21. snap — to click
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. board — a committee

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