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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — to get on
  3. pit — a hole
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — to keep track
  6. degree — an amount
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. track — a song
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — after costs
  22. degree — temperature
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — for catching

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