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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — to get on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — to visit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — a committee
  23. pop — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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