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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — to keep track
  15. court — for sport
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a committee
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of law
  24. track — a path

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