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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. march — the month
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. march — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — government
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — a coil
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — music

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