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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — temperature
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. board — to get on
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — a measure
  15. game — a match
  16. kid — child
  17. board — a committee
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — the bottom

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