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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — clever
  7. last — finally
  8. degree — from a university
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — an amount
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a flat piece

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