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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mate — to breed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. degree — an amount
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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