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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. degree — temperature
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. present — the time now
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — a stick
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — there
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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