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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. squash — the sport
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — a tin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. kick — in football
  19. degree — from a university
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. degree — temperature
  24. board — to get on

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