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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — child
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — to get on
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. firm — a company
  21. kid — to tease
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a trace

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