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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — low music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ground — a position
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — the earth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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