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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. trunk — of a car

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