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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. degree — an amount
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — to come down
  6. present — there
  7. fine — all right
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. face — to confront
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. board — a committee
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — from a university
  19. land — a country
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fine — high quality
  22. land — ground
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. present — a gift

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