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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — a committee
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for dancing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. race — humankind
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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