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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — government
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. degree — from a university
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. board — a committee
  12. date — the fruit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — an untruth

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