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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the 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