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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rule — government
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — from a university
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — a committee
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. season — in sport

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