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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. capital — money
  3. chip — for betting
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — to be able to
  20. capital — a city
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. suit — to fit
  24. root — of a plant

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