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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — the time now
  3. board — to get on
  4. court — of a king
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. court — for sport
  11. mug — a cup
  12. present — there
  13. mug — to rob
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. mug — a face
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — a gift
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. degree — temperature

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