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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a ring
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a music group
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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