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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a committee
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bass — the fish
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. degree — an amount
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — temperature
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — to get on
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — the instrument

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