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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a ring
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — happening now
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — electric
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. board — a committee
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rule — a law
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — a loud noise

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